


Love and Liberty

by morphia



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff, Getting Together, Kid Fic, M/M, Misunderstandings, Tony Has Issues, tony is a father
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 11:59:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6905359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphia/pseuds/morphia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony became a father. It was Complicated. Her name was Libby--Liberty for you, thank you very much. She was perfect and that was all he would say on the matter. </p><p>And then, he met Steve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love and Liberty

**Author's Note:**

> I owe a ridiculous amount of thanks to quite a few people for this so let me quickly get this out of the way:
> 
> First of all, to [kelslk](http://kelslk-art.tumblr.com/), who drew [this amazing fanart](http://66.media.tumblr.com/0cec2e4df4174ddc962e9d269eaab6c9/tumblr_o7g9pdfrvw1uvq3u1o1_1280.png) and got my writing juices going!  
> To [teaberryblue](http://archiveofourown.org/users/teaberryblue/) and [amonae](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Amonae/) who were both great sports and have shared their thoughts and ideas.  
> To [veldeia](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Veldeia/) and [smiledesu](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SmileDesu/), who did proof reading at various points in time when I started losing faith in myself.  
> And above all, to [Ann2who](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ann2who/), who has literally held my hand throughout the writing process, brainstormed, read it a million times and had faith in me when I was ready to bail.
> 
> This piece would not have been finished, or posted, or even written half as well as I feel it turned out, if it weren't for all these lovely people.

~

 _Liberty is still very young,_ Natasha had said when she'd crashed at his place that fateful night all those months ago. _She won't remember what happened to her parents, but she needs a stable home._

Of course Tony had known that Natasha wasn't considering him as a potential adoptive parent to the child she'd just rescued. They both knew he couldn’t be entrusted with anything more fragile than a tank. And thinking back on it now, the thought hadn't occurred to him until a couple of weeks had passed.

Natasha had to lay low, she'd said, and Tony took it in stride. He had focused on the tiny human that lay on the sofa next to her, thoughts rushing through him and finding no purchase.

Liberty was the most wondrous thing he'd ever seen.

Tony had met Natasha several years before, at one of his fundraisers. Back then, he'd actually tried talking her into going out with him a couple of times, but she was not swayed by his charms, though she did seem to like him to some degree, and kept in touch. She was a secret agent of some sort, and they got along best when he didn't ask her what she did or for whom. No matter what her professional dealings were, Tony knew with utmost certainty that she was kindhearted, and that she cared very deeply. That was why he'd always gone out of his way to help her when he could.

He never would have imagined she'd appear at his doorstep with a baby in her arms, her uniform disheveled and all in all looking quite distressed. And he'd never seen her look anything but composed before. At the time, he hadn't imagined things would turn out the way that they did, but then again, his life rarely adhered to expectations.

The best example was Liberty.

Yes, Tony had met babies before, but he'd never had to spend any length of time in their company. Besides, none of them had been as perfect as this child was. He couldn't exactly place what it was about her, but from the first moment he looked at her, he wanted to make sure she was safe. Back then, he'd told Natasha that they could stay as long as they needed, his eyes still fixed on Liberty.

 _Want to hold her?_ Natasha had offered, and Tony recoiled. Yes, he wanted to, but he'd probably do it wrong and break her or something. Natasha must've caught onto his hesitation, because she smiled, reaching over to the flailing baby, lifting her off the couch and approaching Tony. _Come on, Stark, you must've held a doll at least once in your life. Put your arms up_. He'd done as instructed, and Natasha placed the baby in his arms. Big blue eyes stared at him, scrutinizing in a way only babies could. And then, she smiled. It was a big, goofy, toothless smile, and she waved her arms at him until her little chubby fingers managed to clutch his tie. That reaction reached so deep into his chest that he felt his heart clenching.

 _She likes you_ , Natasha had said then, her tone considering. He would've glanced at her, but was too busy watching the little creature in his arms. Perfectly smooth, tan skin stretched across plumped cheeks and a high, round forehead, the gentle brow shape only a hint at her young age, and her hair all but fuzz. She looked like she could be his own biological daughter, save for the eyes, even though Tony knew that was not possible.

 _She's perfect_ , he had said eventually, finally finding the voice to speak his thoughts. Natasha would understand, he’d thought, probably more than he was comfortable with anyone knowing. She’d reached over and gently took Liberty from his arms. Then, she’d dictated a shopping list for him. He would've argued, but didn't think she'd accept any opposition. Diapers, formula, bottles, pacifier, baby clothes ( _smallest size, Tony_ ), crib, stroller, blankets, baby monitors. A slow vertigo settled upon him as he realized that, like it or not, he would be caring for the baby until Natasha could find a more permanent arrangement for her.

~

Tony rubbed a hand over his tired eyes, trying to focus on the holographic blueprint in front of him and failing miserably. Between waking up regularly at night to tend to the unexpected new addition to his household and fielding Pepper's increasing demands of him to provide better performance to his already advanced technology, he got very little sleep in the past week. It was probably pointless to even try working under these conditions, but he still had ideas, and he wanted to at least put them down on paper, seeing how even the workshop at home was already becoming a distant dream.

The baby monitor, which he upgraded as soon as he got home with all the baby supplies, sat on the desk and emitted soft, almost inaudible, stable breathing. It didn't help his exhausted state at all, and after a few more minutes, Tony decided to call it a day. He was already seeing double, so anything he added to this design now would be useless, anyway. He stumbled to his feet and grabbed the little device before heading for his bedroom, where Liberty slept in her crib.

He stood by the bed and watched the baby sleep, so peaceful and quiet, and that was when the thoughts crept up on him. _She won't be staying here_ , he thought, and felt a deep, gaping ache settle inside him. It would be ill-advised, he reminded himself, to adopt a baby girl of six months. He was a busy man who worked crazy hours, led an outrageous bachelor life, and whose responsibility to others extended to watering the plants every couple of days. When it came to a child, he had nothing to offer whatsoever.

Natasha had left earlier in the week, after instructing him firmly with all the duties of a parent, starting with how to make a bottle, how to change a diaper, what to pay attention to and what to expect. Liberty was just entering that stage where she would start babbling, would flip herself and, his biggest hope, sleep a full night without fussing. He'd done a lot of research--instead of work--and felt he had a pretty good grasp of the situation by the time Natasha had to leave. Still, the thought that Natasha was essentially looking for proper adoptive family for the child was constantly gnawing at his mind. The more time he spent with her, the more Liberty became precious to him, and the more he realized he didn't trust anyone to know how to care for her properly, regardless of his own parenting skills.

He changed to pajamas and slid into bed. His eyes stayed on the crib with the little treasure inside, and he thought, and thought, and fell asleep thinking _I could be a father, if it's Liberty_.

~

"You know, I didn’t believe your message, but now I see you all…" Rhodey made a vague gesture from where he stood, a few paces from Tony. He watched him feed Liberty from a bottle like he was a natural at it, and the look in Rhodey’s eyes read utter disbelief. "You know what? I still don't believe it."

"I knew you'd understand, honeybear," Tony muttered, but smiled at his baby, making little faces to keep her interested as they waited for the papers to be ready for signing. He ignored Rhodey for another minute but then sighed. He couldn't really ignore his best friend, even if said best friend had indirectly expressed his mistrust of Tony's abilities to care for a baby. If he were being honest, Rhodey's disbelief wasn't without reason. "Look, it's happening. You wanna be the sourpatch, you go ahead and do that, outside. You're my friend, act the part."

"Tony…"

"Don't give me that tone now." He lifted his eyes from the baby to meet Rhodey's confused gaze. "You wanna say something to stop me, keep it to yourself. I'm not changing my mind. You got any words of advice, I'm all ears." And honestly Tony wouldn't have been so hard on his best friend if not for the grilling he'd gotten from Pepper when he'd told _her_ about his parenting plans.

She hadn’t been impressed, and had taken great pains to outline his flawed personality as completely the opposite of parent material as possible. The only thing that had brought her tirade to an end was Liberty's protesting screams that could only be soothed when Tony took her in his arms and rocked her gently.

In short, Tony really did not need another person to fight on the matter. His decision was as final as decisions could be. Nothing short of the child's dead parents showing up to reclaim her would've made him change his mind.

Rhodey was quiet for a long moment, and Tony could feel him staring for the duration of that silence, but when Rhodey finally spoke, it was not to berate Tony, nor to say goodbye. "You're right," was all he said as he approached and turned his eyes on the child. "It… It oddly suits you, actually. The whole baby thing. What's her name?"

Liberty's eyes settled on Rhodey with open curiosity, but she was still eating, and had one hand clutching Tony's shirt.

"Liberty," Tony said, ignoring the agitation inside him as much as he could. "Thank you for coming, by the way." His voice was low, but he felt he had to say that.

"My best friend is becoming a father, you think I'd miss that?" Rhodey was smiling when Tony glanced at him next. "It's just… I never thought it was anything you'd be interested in."

"It wasn't, until I met her."

"Well, you need anything, I'm here for another three weeks before I have to get back."

"Three weeks?" Tony looked to Rhodey again, his gaze having drifted to his child once more. "They were willing to let you go that long?"

"They couldn't stop me if they tried." Rhodey was grinning, now finally devoid of tension. "As I said, not every day your best friend becomes a father."

Tony stared at him for a while, but was spared having to answer when the doors opened and Happy stood, nervous, to beckon Tony inside. "They're ready for you, boss."

Those words had Tony stop in place, his legs all but cemented to the spot. With all his bravado, he was still unprepared for this moment to happen for real. What business did he have adopting a girl child, and so young at that, when he had no experience as a parent? Pepper was right, he should call it all off, he should--

"Come on, Stark." Natasha's voice penetrated his sudden paralysis. "Let's do this." He hadn't even seen her coming into the room, but there she was. Composed, dressed to kill, and wearing a smile that was very unusual on her face. "Or are you getting cold feet?" She raised an amused eyebrow as Tony cleared his throat.

"Of course not. I'm ready." He felt determination settle again. Even if he'd called off the signing today, he knew he couldn't give up the baby anymore. His heart wouldn't let him.

"Congratulations," Natasha said when the deed was done. "You're now officially a father. How does it feel?" she asked, watching him with that same strange, easy smile on her face.

Liberty chose that moment to barf all over the lapel of his favorite suit jacket.

~

"Dada!"

Tony froze mid-motion. He had just left briefly to get Liberty's food ready, when her voice rang through the space.

"Dada?" she called again, her tone a question. He could see her sitting on the big mat in the middle of the living room when he glanced over the kitchen island. She was holding onto one of the squeeze-toys in a death grip and was waving it wildly. And, sure, she'd been babbling since he'd met her, all those months ago, but even as he'd signed the adoption papers, shell-shocked and still sure she'd be somehow taken from him in the last minute, he'd never imagined what it would be like to hear her speak that one word.

"Libby, what did I tell you about torturing the plush-mammoth?" he asked, gulping down his excitement as he quickly tested the food's temperature and hurried to her side. "Come on, be a good girl and give him to me."

"Dada!" she called once more, this time grinning at him as he crouched next to her and held out his hand for the plush. She waved it, not exactly relinquishing it, but her grip slipped just as the toy hit Tony's hand. He took advantage, taking it and setting it aside. She reached both arms to him as soon as her hands were free.

"Yes baby girl, I'm daddy," he crooned, lifting her carefully into his arms before standing up and carrying her over to the kitchen. "Daddy's made mashed carrots today with a little bit of salt, and later you'll get to try celery. Exciting, isn't it?" he asked as she gripped the lapel of his stained button-down shirt. She stared at her own hand for a long moment, then let out a joyful laugh and looked at him, instead.

~

Breakfast took longer than he'd intended, but at least most of it ended up eaten, and not strewn all over the dining table and floor. After he'd gotten Liberty cleaned up and dressed in her nicest blue dress, Tony combed her hair gently with the soft brush. "How do you want your hair today, baby girl?" he asked, looking at her as though she would answer, but she just looked at him like he was stupid. Well, that was fair. What exactly was he expecting? A full vocabulary?

Tony shrugged and collected some of the hair on the side of her head into a small band. "How about this, hmm? I think it's cute." He didn't even wait for an answer before looking down at himself. Ugh. This was the tough part. He could put her in the crib while he got ready for the day, but she only accepted being put in the crib at home when it was bedtime.

It took a few tries before Libby finally stayed put on the lush carpet in his bedroom, allowing him a moment to switch into a less-stained button down. He shrugged into a jacket, pulled on his pants quickly, and went to brush his teeth with the door open, so he could keep an eye on her. She in turn was busy staring at the carved foot of his bed, her chubby fingers fumbling for it. Soon enough, Tony was presentable.

He carried Libby back to the living room and set her on the mat. "Here," he said, handing her the purple mammoth doll. "Daddy's just gonna get the bag ready and then we'll be out of here, okay?"

"Ay!" she called back, and Tony wasn't sure if she was really answering him in context, or reacting because she thought he expected her to. It wasn't so relevant, he told himself, because he was late already and Pepper would give him a lecture of a life-time if he missed her morning debrief one more time. He sighed. Pepper was a gift, he knew. Without her, his company would be toast. Sure, she was strict, but only because she cared. He could take the grilling so long as he knew she meant well. She'd tried to dissuade him from adopting Liberty at first, claiming that it would be too hard for him to be a single parent, but eventually warmed up to the idea after paying a visit during dinner-time.

The bag was prepared quickly. Extra clothes, some diapers, two bottles with clean water, extra formula, leftover mashed carrots, skin-care cream, a small towel. What was he forgetting? He looked around himself, on the floor, on the table in the kitchen. Oh, pacifier #2. Okay. That… "Where's your…" he asked as he walked over to grab the one from the kitchen and shove it in a side pocket. When he turned around, he saw Libby crawling to the edge of the mat and grabbing pacifier #1, shoving it in her mouth unceremoniously and turning to give him an innocent look. "Ah."

They headed out soon after, Libby in his arms, the bag slung on his shoulder and across his chest. The walk wasn't long, so Tony didn't take the stroller. He had a crib and a bunch of other things for Libby at the office, and the building was just across the large park next to his mansion. He hurried along, not stopping at first when Libby started fussing.

"Dada…" she complained, making him stop in his tracks.

"What is it, baby girl?" he asked, looking at her. "Do you want a bottle? I've got some water for you." He pulled it out of the bag and offered it, and then it occurred to him that her pacifier had disappeared. She gave him a displeased look, grabbing his tie in that hold that hinted she would soon pull on it. Tony swore internally. When had she dropped it? How was he going to find it? It was her favorite one too and…

"Excuse me…?"

Both Tony and Liberty turned to look at the stranger who'd addressed them. Tall and Blond had an awkward look on his face, and carried himself like he wasn't sure his presence was welcome, but before Tony could ask him what his problem was, the guy held out his hand with Libby's pacifier in it. Tony's gaze snapped to the guy's face. God, was he handsome. No one this handsome was allowed to look so awkward. He wanted to say so. He also wanted to say thank you, or to just take the pacifier courteously and get on with it. Work was still ten minutes away.

"How would you like to be my nanny?" he heard himself say, instead. Dead silence fell for a long moment as Tony stared at the guy, and the guy stared back like he was a three headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades' realm. Then, Tony recoiled. "I mean, if you're good with kids, and if Libby likes you and if you pass my security tests and--"

The guy was laughing. A hearty laughter that seemed to bubble from deep in his chest. He glanced down at the pacifier, then to the baby, before looking at Tony. He didn’t seem to mind his weird offer. That was good. Tony didn't make a habit of offering jobs to strangers, but this guy just emanated good intentions. Or something. Tony half thought it must be the stress finally taking its toll.

"I'm a gym instructor, actually," the stranger said, as soon as the laughter died out. "I have no experience with children." He glanced at the pacifier again. "Can I give it to her or do you need to wash it?"

Tony thought about it, glanced at Libby, then shook his head. "Give it here. I'll wash it at the office. I'm actually late," he said, handing the bottle to the baby. "Hold onto this, baby girl.” He took the pacifier from the stranger, stuffing it in his pocket easily. "Thanks."

His eyes dropped back on his child. She was drinking the water, staring at the stranger, and Tony looked back to him as well. He hadn't left immediately, and Tony felt it would be rude to just walk off now.

"Uh…" the stranger said, moving his weight from one leg to the other. "If you actually do need a nanny, I may have a few options for you. They'll pass all your tests, I assure you," he offered, then held out his hand for a shake. "Steve Rogers, by the way."

"Tony Stark," Tony said, taking the offered hand and shaking it. It was warm and calloused, but Tony didn't comment on that at all. "That’s great, I, uh, I'd give you my card, but I haven't got any with me at the moment…"

"Are you walking to your office?" Steve asked, eyeing the baby in Tony's arms like he thought it was a strange means of transportation for a child. Since he didn't say anything, however, Tony didn't get too defensive.

"It's actually not far. Are you busy right now? If not, you could walk with us and I'll give you my card once we get there." It was… surreal. Tony wasn't sure what was happening. Why were they still talking in the middle of the park? He decided to roll with it for now. It wouldn't hurt to hire some help, and his background checks were pretty thorough. He wouldn't hire someone to care for Libby unless they were squeaky clean.

~

Steve had been on his morning run, he'd said. He'd planned to go for breakfast after, he'd said. He had a very full schedule, apparently, but he still spent ten minutes walking Tony and Libby to the office. He was a bit taller than Tony, and his tight shirt left little to the imagination. On top of that, he had kind, blue eyes and a blinding smile. If Tony didn't have a baby to take care of, he would've asked him out instead of offering a job as a nanny, but that was… a thought he was better off not pursuing.

"So you really are _the_ Tony Stark, huh?" Steve asked, turning the card in his hand to look at the emblazoned letters stating Tony's name, his position and his contact information. Tony shrugged. He didn't like to be recognized as _the_ anything, but such was life. Libby was sitting in her office crib, smashing a giraffe plush against the side bars, and Tony… well, he had his full attention on Steve Rogers.

"The same," he answered at last, eyes set on that blue gaze. "Appreciate if you keep that bit of information to yourself."

"Of course," Steve answered. He shoved the card in his training slacks' pocket and reached over to shake Tony's hand again. "Nice meeting you, Mr. Stark. I'll be in touch."

"Oh God no, call me Tony," Tony replied dramatically as he shook Steve's hand and saw him to the door. "And uh…" he hesitated, side-eyeing Steve, wondering if he should say more. "Even if you haven't got any nanny friends… Call me."

Steve paused, eyes falling on Tony for a long, contemplative moment. His expression was unreadable, but the depth of his eyes was stunning. "Alright, Tony," he finally said, then turned to leave.

Tony stared at the closed door for all of a minute, before Liberty demanded his attention again.

"Dadadada!" she called, and he turned around to see what it was she needed. Probably a diaper change, considering how long it's been since he last changed her.

"What is it, baby girl?" he asked, walking over and smiling at her, Steve already moving to the back of his mind.

~

"Rogers, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're distracted," Sam said as he walked over, which prompted Steve out of his short reverie. He blinked, and glanced at the heavy bag that hung uselessly in front of him. He hadn't taken a swing in a few minutes.

"That's his distracted face alright," Bucky chimed in from across the room. He was putting the weights back in place in their proper order on the rack, and didn't bother coming over. Sam, however, kept his stance next to the heavy bag, since it was clear Steve wasn't going to start throwing punches now.

"I'm not distracted," he retorted, feeling a little defensive despite himself. "I'm just thinking."

"That's distracted in my book," Bucky said, moving on to the bars without even looking over. Sam had that assessing look on his face that meant he'd just gone into his VA therapist mode. Steve really wasn't in the mood for this kind of dig into his psyche. It was bad enough that they caught him distracted at work, but if he had to talk about it…

"The man has a point," Sam said, then leaned a little closer. "You can tell me in private if you're worried about Bucky's poor tact."

"I heard that," said Bucky, finally done with his tasks and approaching them. "Nothing ol' Stevie could say that would warrant a tease. Come on, spill."

Sighing, Steve started peeling the boxing tape from his hands. "I met someone." A stillness followed, and Steve heard himself huff an annoyed breath. "What?"

"You met someone--" Sam started, only to be cut off by Bucky.

"What, when? Talk, Rogers."

"I _am_ talking," Steve retorted, moving from them to put his tape away. He stretched a little, swinging his arms around before he turned to face them again. Steve, though he viewed himself as a person who could read his friends well most of the time, had no idea what they were thinking at that particular moment. He sighed and gestured towards the break room and the three of them found a place to sit.

"So this guy--" he started saying, pausing when he heard Bucky gasping, and giving him his best challenging look. Bucky lifted both hands in a placating gesture, then nodded his head. Steve took a deep breath, then let it out evenly. "This guy is actually pretty nice… He has amazing eyes and he's so handsome…"

"Where did you meet him anyway? You never go out," Sam asked, eyebrows lifted. He didn't seem to be surprised that it was a guy who'd gotten his attention. That was a relief. Bucky shouldn't have been surprised, but maybe he'd never believed it before. Either way, he didn't seem to mind, which drained the last of the tension from Steve's shoulders.

"I went jogging in the park," Steve answered with a shrug. "And I met him there. We walked together for a bit and he gave me his number… I don't know if I should call him."

"Yes." The answer was immediate, and came from both Bucky and Sam at the same time. Bucky reached over and grasped Steve's bicep.

"You need to call him back as soon as possible."

Steve didn't say anything for a long moment after that. It was obvious his friends had been worried about him being on his own. It was a silly thing to worry about, but he thought it best not to argue about it. What had he expected from them, really?

"At least try it out?" Sam asked after a glance at Bucky.

"I don't know," Steve said, looking down at his hands on the table. Bucky withdrew and settled back down, but Steve wasn't looking at his friends' faces, so he couldn't tell what they were thinking at all. "It just… He seemed pretty busy with his daughter. What if I just get in the way?"

"He has a daughter." It was Sam's voice that came through after a moment. "That's a detail you maybe should've mentioned earlier."

Bucky added, "Yeah man, that's… That changes things."

Steve looked up, and saw the excited, maybe even encouraging looks replaced with concern. Sam was frowning at him like he wasn't sure what he should be saying, and Bucky had his arms crossed and his eyes set on Steve's. He couldn't remember seeing him like this since their days in the field. Maybe the idea of dating a parent was really a bad one. He'd been thinking about it all day and came to no viable conclusion. Every time he thought he had made a decision to go with, more doubt crawled into his mind and had him tormented.

Because his friends weren't wrong. He never did go out, and meeting new people was near-impossible for him. His new trainees were off limits for him, and his best friends weren't really an option either. Tony had seemed so… so interesting, and attractive, and there was so much that Steve felt he should've asked before leaving.

"How does it change anything? If he seems nice enough--" he started saying, but was cut off by Sam.

"Even if he's the nicest guy on Earth, if he's a single parent it's going to complicate things for you. You know that's why people only have children _after_ they've been together for a while, don't you?"

Bucky was nodding his head in agreement. "Don't call him, Stevie."

Steve just stared at his friends for a long moment after that. So that was their advice. It was pretty conclusive, he thought, then nodded his head in response. It was the reasonable thing to do. Besides, he was half convinced Tony wasn't expecting to hear from him, anyway.

~

Steve didn't call him. Tony only thought about that briefly when he went to bed that same day. He hadn't really expected to be contacted by the attractive stranger, if only because he was a father. No one looking to date would give a single parent the time of day, and besides, maybe the guy already had someone? Tony hadn't exactly bothered asking before coming onto him the way that he had. It didn't matter. Tony wasn't really looking for a relationship. He and Libby could make do with just the two of them.

The next couple of days were hectic. Tony had a deadline to meet, and Liberty was perhaps a little more fussy than usual. He took her temperature often, thankful for the ear thermometer, but she didn't have a fever, and she wasn't showing any cold symptoms. If it continued, he realized with mild alarm, he'd have to take her to see a doctor.

"Come on baby girl, what is it?" he asked her, but she just glared at him, puffy eyed and sullen. He changed her diaper with some difficulty, then tried to fit her foot into a sock, when his phone suddenly started ringing. Libby reacted with a shrill scream. What the fuck. What kind of a person makes a call past seven o'clock, anyway? The caller ID showed a number Tony didn't recognize, which only served to annoy him even more.

The phone continued ringing, unaffected by Tony's rising impatience. Liberty shook off the sock, hitting him in the face with it, then shoved her fist in her mouth with defiance. Tony forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath. No socks. Okay. He could do that. He reached to take her in his arms, but she was squirming too much, and why the hell did he choose that specific ringtone for unknown numbers?!

"WHAT IS IT?" he growled into the phone when he'd snatched it from the table and held it to his ear.

A silence followed, short, and quickly broken. "Uh... This… Is this a bad time?"

Steve's voice sounded uneasy and apologetic. Tony kicked himself momentarily--of course Steve would call him when he was least inclined to talk. "Steve…" he acknowledged. "I… I didn't expect you to call."

Steve huffed a quick chuckle. "Well… yeah--" he started saying, and Liberty chose that moment to start screaming again. Tony grumbled.

"Right," Tony said, glancing at the flailing child. "I… Can I call you back? It's her bedtime and she's… Well…"

"Sure. We'll talk later," Steve said, and he sounded like he really didn't mind. Tony gulped.

"Great. Later, then." He hung up and sat the phone aside. "Now, what can we do for you, baby girl?"

~

What eventually helped Liberty fall asleep was a long burping session. It hadn't occurred to Tony that she might just be gassy. Luckily, Natasha had texted the suggestion a few minutes after Steve had called, when Tony turned to her in his desperation. And then, finally, Libby went to sleep. She even let him put on both her socks and cover her with the tiny, fluffy blanket. Yay! Small victories.

Now that she slept in her crib in the room next to Tony's, her soft breathing coming through the baby monitor clearly, he was finally able to set his mind to the other, more complex puzzle of the day. A fussy baby was a difficult issue, but ultimately, few things could go wrong, as long as the baby was well fed and well cared for. People's motivations, on the other hand--full grown adults' motivations--were beyond what Tony could decipher. He'd never been particularly tactful, and reading the atmosphere he avoided doing unless he absolutely had to. Besides, what business did he have seeking out a… what, a date? A relationship? He didn't have time for this. It would never work.

In short, he was freaking out. When he really should've been calling Steve back, he only stared at his phone with a deep set frown.

Tall, handsome, kind Steve, who stooped to pick up a lost pacifier, who joined random strangers on their way to work, and who'd called him back despite being fully aware that Tony was a parent; a single parent for all intents and purposes. Tony should call him back, but he wouldn't. Steve, whoever he was, deserved better than this.

The phone rang, and Tony answered quickly, not wanting the noise to wake up his child. In his fumbling, he didn't check the number, and he didn't need to. It was pretty clear it would be Steve, which both made excitement spark in his chest, and dread settle in belly. "Stark."

"Hi," came the quiet reply. Tony stared into middle distance and forced his racing thoughts to slow. Nothing made sense. "I waited for your call but, uh…" There was a noise, like Steve moved the grip on the phone or switched ears. "I figured you must've forgotten… You sounded… busy."

A breath exploded out of Tony’s lungs and he finally sat down on his bed. "Yeah… Sorry about that." Tony scrubbed a hand down his face. What was he doing? "Libby was having a bad day." He caught himself before adding 'you know how it is', because, for all he knew, Steve didn't. "It took some persuasion to get her to sleep."

"Is she better now?" Steve asked, concern in his voice. It was… endearing.

"Oh yes. She's fast asleep."

"Good."

Quiet dominated the line between them, and Tony toed the lush carpet with his socked foot--a nervous tic. Then, he took a breath to speak, but Steve cleared his throat at the same time and spoke first. "So… You asked me to call you." He sounded curious, maybe hopeful? Tony wasn't sure what he heard there, but it gave him the courage to speak as well.

"Yes. Yes, I did. I was… I wanted…" Tony shut his eyes and then shook his head, huffing out a laugh. What was he doing? Didn't he just decide it would be a horrible idea to do this? "I... I'm usually smoother than this," he admitted faintly, encouraged when Steve chuckled in response but said nothing, waiting for Tony to get to the point. _Okay ask and then see what happens_. "It's just… I'd like to get to know you. Better. Maybe go on a date with you. I know it's… weird, since we just met the one time and this is me probably going way too fast for normal people but--"

"A date sounds like fun," Steve interrupted, cutting Tony's rambling short. Tony didn't know what to do with that statement for a second, staring at the wall across from him.

"It… does?" he asked, hesitant.

"Yes, Tony." Steve sounded like he was smiling, but the words rang serious enough. "When are you available?"

 _Shit,_ Tony thought. "I uh… I don't have a babysitter."

"At all?" Steve asked, surprised. "So you weren't kidding with that job offer, huh?" Most parents were probably not as irrational as Tony, and not as picky about the help they wanted. Tony never hired anyone to look after Liberty because he trusted no one with her. He knew this would have to change in time, but for now he couldn't bring himself to do it, even though Pepper was complaining about his lowered productivity and company loses.

"Sorry…" was all Tony could find in himself to say.

"No, don't be," Steve quickly replied. "We can work with that."

"We can?" And that earned another laugh from Steve. Tony was surprised at how much he wanted to hear more of it.

"Yes, we can." Steve paused, as though in thought. "How do you feel about dinner?"

"Dinner." Tony disliked how stupefied he sounded.

"At your place or mine, with Liberty on-site, of course."

"Dinner with…" Tony hadn't considered this at all when he'd blurted that Steve should call him. He hadn't thought about what he would do about Liberty if he ended up asking to date Steve. He hadn't even thought Steve would call him back. What kind of a guy calls back a desperate-looking single parent he'd met just once on a walk? The anomaly was too great, and it took him a moment to digest the fact that Steve had thought about a solution without so much as a pause. Like it was completely normal to go on a date with a baby on-site.

"Uh…" Now Steve sounded uncertain.

"Let's make it lunch at that little cafe next to my office, okay?" Tony said. He reminded himself that he actually knew next to nothing about Steve, and that having him over for dinner might be dangerous. In a fantasy world, inviting someone to your home based on a smile would be great, but here it would just be criminally negligent.

"Sure, my gym is not far from the park," Steve said. "How's Thursday?"

"Thursday."

"Too early?"

"No, no. Thursday. It's a date. Around one?"

"I'll see you then." Steve's voice came softer now, like tension had left him. Tony wanted to ask, but didn't really know how to. "Should I, uh… bring anything for Liberty?"

"Huh? Like what?" Tony asked, surprised that Steve would bring her up again when it was clear they were done talking for now.

"I don't know… Something she likes?" Steve sounded so earnest, and Tony had to smile to himself at the thought. Steve really wanted her to like him, didn't he?

"A plushy, then. Something soft. Not promising she won't beat the crap out of it, though," Tony concluded, his smile widening at the sound of Steve laughing again. "Don’t worry," he added then, a little more seriously. "I'm sure you don't need to worry about Libby liking you."

"Maybe," Steve said, anything but convinced. "I'll see you on Thursday, Tony. Call me if anything comes up."

"Sure thing, Steve. Good night."

"Good night."

~

Steve was already at the cafe when Tony finally managed to get out of the office. It was half past one, but Steve didn't seem all that troubled, and his face lit in a smile when he spotted Tony with Libby at his hip. Tony felt his own face fix in a smile, and when he saw Steve had already asked the staff to arrange a booster seat for the child he had to shake his head with awed appreciation. Yes, it was a small thing, maybe even the obvious thing to do, but Tony really hadn't had the chance to interact with other people in the past couple of months, let alone with Libby being a welcome party in the interaction.

"Did you wait long?" Tony asked, standing next to the table and looking at the seat. Liberty was used to the one at home, and he wondered how she'd react to being put in an unfamiliar seat. Maybe it would be best to keep her in his lap despite Steve's efforts? He glanced at her and she reached up to smack his cheek lightly with a chubby hand.

"Nah, not long." It was an obvious lie, but Tony didn't call him out on it as he steeled himself and then set his child in the designated chair. He strapped her in and watched her as she watched him back in silent, blank wonder. Steve, realizing something was amiss, glanced at the baby, then turned to Tony, who was still standing with his eyes on her. She was pouting at her father, and it was pretty clear she was ready to raise a tantrum the likes of which that cafe had never even seen.

Tony was ready to pull her out of the seat when a small, fluffy tiger in a pink tutu appeared on the booster's tray, distracting both Tony and Liberty from the alien situation at hand. Steve moved the tiger a little, making it seem like it was going to pounce, which urged a delighted little laugh from Libby. She reached over and grabbed it out of Steve's hand, now fully engrossed in flailing the plush around. The new chair and the separation from her father's side were forgotten.

"Thanks," Tony said, bewildered at how easily the crisis was averted. He set his gaze on Steve, who gestured to the chair opposite his own. Tony sat down a little stiffly and watched the other man watching him. "I expected much more of a fuss, but that was a brilliant idea."

"Yeah well…" Steve said, glancing at the child before looking back at Tony. "I wanted to make a good impression." His smile was warm, if a little shy.

Looking at his daughter playing with the plush, Tony said, "I think you managed that much." And he wasn't sure if he'd meant for Steve to hear it or not, though it was clear that he did.

The date went smoothly for the most part. Tony hadn't expected it to. He kept expecting Liberty to start fussing, but she was content to play with the plush at first, and then turned to stare at Steve, who eventually started making the most ridiculous faces at her. There was a whole lot of laughter and not much awkwardness at all. They even managed to eat a little and feed the baby! It was an interesting experience for Tony, whose only experience sharing the burden of caring for Liberty had been the brief tutoring period with Natasha.

"So, gym instructor," Tony asked idly at one point, noting the way Liberty held onto Steve's forefinger. "How's that working for you?"

"It's okay," Steve answered, though he was still looking at the child. "I'm actually finishing up arts major soon. Hopefully, I'll find a teaching position or a rich patron.” He laughed at that, like it was impossible, or like it was the kind of dream you knew you could never achieve. Tony frowned a little but didn't comment. "In the meantime, yeah." Steve's eyes finally drifted back to Tony. "Gym instructor."

"Fair enough," Tony said, then sipped from his coffee. "I've never dated an arts major before."

"You still aren't," Steve retorted with a small grin on his face, then took a bite of his cake. He looked like he was going to say something more, but Liberty shook his hand, grabbing Steve's attention again.

"Should I be jealous?" Tony joked then, seeing as both of his date partners were ignoring him for a bit. Steve hunched his shoulders and glanced towards him.

"Of whom?" He asked, scratching the side of his head with his free hand.

"Still undecided. Finish your cake, we'll go to the park after this," Tony said, then hurried to add, "if you want to, of course."

Steve only gave him a relieved nod at that, and proceeded to chomp down his cake.

The park wasn't too crowded, and they easily found a bench to sit on. Steve wondered with an absent tone why Tony never seemed to have a stroller with him and Tony shrugged it off. "I don't go on strolls very often, but if I really wanted to, I do have one for her."

"She doesn't like it, huh," Steve guessed, side-eyeing Tony, who busied himself with Liberty's dress for a moment before shaking his head, eyes darting off to fix on a tree.

"Not really." Steve didn't say anything to that, which eventually nagged Tony enough that he looked back to him, once more amazed by the depth of those blues. A strange expression flitted over Steve's face for a brief moment, before he chuckled, as though amused by a personal joke he'd only just thought of. Tony was having none of that. "What is it?"

"Nothing, just--" Steve shook his head momentarily, eyes closing. "I just… thought about kissing you." He said it like he was in a hurry to put it all out there in the open. "And I thought of asking for Libby's permission, but obviously she's too young to deal with…" he gestured helplessly between them, "this type of thing, so…"

Tony took only a split second to process what Steve was actually saying, and he stopped the rush of words by placing his free hand on Steve's shoulder. "Hey," he said when Steve trailed off and turned to look at him like he was ready to flee the scene at the slightest rejection. "She might not be an authority on the matter yet, but I am." He gestured at himself with a thumb. "Lay one on me, let's see what you got."

Steve stared at him like that was the worst challenge he'd ever been presented, but determination soon took over the wide eyed, slack mouthed stare, and before Tony could reassure him that he wasn't actually here to test Steve's abilities, lips pressed to his own, and the whole buildup was shelved for later inspection.

 _Lips_. Tony hadn't kissed anyone who wasn't under the age of 12 months and his own child which he loved dearly in a very long time. And it felt good. It was as soft as he'd remembered it tended to be, and Steve lingered, even though it was clear he wasn't going to push for anything involving tongue. Tony wasn't going to push it either, especially when he felt a familiar tug on his tie.

He broke the kiss with a gasp, his eyes opening to register the kind of pleased expression Steve had on his face, before turning his attention on his daughter. She was making little ah-ah sounds as she started bouncing herself against him. "Dada-dada, -ata-?"

"Water, of course baby girl, just a second." He reached for the baby bag and rummaged through it for a second before handing her the bottle. Once she was preoccupied again, he turned to Steve, who was keeping a carefully neutral expression on his face. He felt it was his duty to break that awkwardness as soon as possible. "So that was a kiss."

"Yeah," Steve answered quickly, like a burst of air out of his lungs.

"A good one, very good one. A plus, would kiss again."

"Yeah?" The hope in Steve's voice was making Tony a little giddy. "Wanna try that out now?"

Not wasting time on answering, Tony leaned in to get another press of lips between them, but this time he didn't stall, and pulled back. "Yeah, but not out here." And not with Liberty with them, wide awake and attentive to what the adults were doing. Steve nodded his head in response and splayed his palms down on his own thighs.

"As far as dates go," Steve said then, looking across the park at an unknown spot in space. "This one was pretty great." He turned to look at Tony, smiling. "I… To be fair, I didn't expect you to ask me out, but…"

"But?" Tony prompted.

"But I'm glad you did. We should do this again." He paused, then added, "soon."

"Soon," Tony agreed. "Maybe next time, you can come over for dinner." He smiled to himself and then teased, "you'd get the dubious pleasure of changing Libby if you stick around long enough."

Steve laughed at this, which only served to encourage Tony. He reached over with his free hand and placed it over Steve's on his thigh. That simple act brought the moment between them to a brief pause, before Steve turned his hand over and took Tony's in a firm grip.

"I'd be terrible at it at first," he admitted, not at all deterred, it seemed, from pursuing something, _something?_ with Tony. "But I could get better, with practice." And Steve was looking at Liberty when he spoke, like she was a precious thing, and a twinge of something in Tony's chest told him that Steve cared about his child enough to be trusted with her, even if he had no experience with children. Of course, he wasn't going to _say_ anything to that effect, but filing that realization for later examination seemed to be in order.

"Play your cards right, and you might get all the practice you never wanted," Tony said, carefully playful, but serious all the same. Steve's smile turned to him then, and he nodded his head once more.

"I plan to."

~

Changing diapers wasn't as hard as Steve had thought it would be. Tony only had to show him once, though he did give a pretty comprehensive list of things to look out for. Liberty eyed him suspiciously the whole time, which was amusing in its own way, and Tony had commented that she probably couldn't remember being changed by anyone other than Tony himself. That, in turn, made a jolt of ridiculous pride rise in Steve’s chest. Tony trusted him enough to let him do this.

He saw Tony a lot after their first date. Mostly, they had dinners or other hangouts at Tony's place. It was clear that Tony was a bit too invested in those dinners, with the type of grandiose dishes he chose to make. It was more than obvious because Tony really didn't seem to know how to make most things. It was a wonder he could keep the baby fed and himself healthy, but Steve didn't question it. He only offered, once, to bring some of his specialty dishes. Tony had given him a strained smile and asked if he was being that obvious. Steve did what he could to assure him it was all good.

"I just think it'd be nicer, since we're eating together, to bring some of my own cooking with me."

That had been enough to satisfy Tony's, evidently, anxious mind. And it worked as well as Steve imagined it would. It wasn't long before he found himself cooking in Tony's kitchen, visiting almost every day. There was something about Tony, something about the connection he had with his child, that just made something tender in Steve's chest reawaken. He hadn't felt something so profound in years. The more Tony opened up to him, shared with him, the stronger the yearning became.

His friends seemed to have noticed the change, as well, because Sam once cornered him after training and admitted that he was happy Steve had decided not to take their advice. Bucky only communicated his approval with smiles and slaps to Steve's back. He didn't even seem to mind Steve never being at their shared apartment when he had time off.

Then, one night, things changed.

Steve felt it was a good change, really. They'd finished dinner, had a fun chat about all kinds of things while Libby tore down at her toys until bedtime, and they'd put her into her crib together. They said goodnight, then headed back to the living room to make out.

It was starting to be a familiar routine.

They made out pretty much every time after Liberty went to sleep. A quiet, heated exchange of kisses and touches, even though Steve sensed the underlying exhaustion in Tony's movements. It was why he hadn't pushed for more, even as Tony nosed against his neck and whispered all the things he wanted to do with him. Part of him felt it would just be too soon, and he knew having sex wouldn't be Tony's first choice when he was so tired, but today was different indeed.

Tony's hand pressed against Steve's crotch, rubbing him hotly and Steve's breath was very much gone. He pressed his forehead to Tony's shoulder and shook his head. "Tony…"

"I do want it, you know…" Tony said next to his ear, and Steve felt his reservations crumble. "I've been fantasizing about it ever since I met you."

"Now?" Steve asked, pulling himself straight and looking up to face Tony. One of his own hands rested over Tony's at his crotch, a light touch. There was no way Tony could miss the hardness there. Tony's eyes were so dark it made Steve gulp. He could see nothing else. Tony nodded his head, and Steve closed his eyes. "Can we…" he looked to Tony again. "In bed?"

Tony only grinned at him, his fingers curling, trying to grasp him through his pants. "In bed, sure. Anywhere you want, sweetcheeks."

~

Steve became a frequent visitor at Tony's house, and, after their first hot, messy tumble in Tony's bed, late at night, with Liberty already sound asleep in her own room, he started spending half the nights there, as well. Tony had a brief, extremely panicked thought that maybe they were moving too fast, but it just… felt so natural to have Steve there with him. He'd wanted him, physically, since the very beginning, but Steve was so much more than that.

After they slept together for the first time, Steve had stayed the night. The next morning, Tony woke up with a start. No crying baby had woken him, not even his own alarm, and when he dragged himself out of bed and hurried to Liberty's room, he found Steve there, waving a little plush toy in front of her as she drank her morning bottle. "Good morning," was all he said, acknowledging Tony with words alone. "Can we get a good morning kiss? I think Libby would like one," he turned to look at Tony then, "and so would I."

When Tony didn't move right away, Steve straightened and tilted his head a little at him. "Juggling a full-time job and caring for a baby girl… You're overworked, Tony. Do you think I missed that call you had with your boss the other day? When was the last time you saw the inside of your own workshop?" He set the plush next to Liberty and approached Tony. He grasped Tony's arms in his hands and looked into his eyes. "You can sleep in from time to time. We both know you deserve some rest, and I'm already here, so…"

Tony kissed him, then. Not at all like their first or second kiss, and not like the passionate kisses they'd shared at night. It was… different. His arms wound around Steve's shoulders and he held him close as he let his tongue delve into Steve's mouth, then nibbled on his lower lip. He'd never imagined someone would care enough, that someone would have the time and energy to help him carry this responsibility. A part of him was terrified of the implications, of Liberty becoming attached, of her getting the wrong idea. Obviously Steve deserved something better than a full familial obligation in his relationships, so who knew how long Tony would get to have him around? Liberty didn't have the level of understanding to approach this kind of relationship with any reservation.

It didn't matter, Tony forced himself to decide. He'd deal with the consequences when they happened. For now… For now he was so happy he could cry. So he pulled back and cleared his throat, gaze fixing on Steve's face with the kind of affection he reserved for very few people on the planet. "Thank you."

Steve just stared at him for a moment, then chuckled, scratching his cheek. "I... If I'd known you'd appreciate it that much, I would've offered to help sooner, you know?"

"Don't ruin the moment," Tony said, poking Steve's abs--Steve's _fantastic_ abs, he might've licked them last night, who knows--and turned to the crib. "Now, I'm gonna kiss my daughter good morning, and then we'll talk about how we do this, okay?"

"Fine by me. I'll start breakfast," Steve said and, with a final peck on Tony's cheek, turned to leave Liberty's room.

~

It worked flawlessly. It worked so well that Tony was rapidly getting worried. Steve took over half the mornings with Liberty, and spent a good chunk of his free time looking after her, so Tony could focus on his work or even just rest a little. With Tony's full time R&D job, and with Steve attending class and working at the gym three times a week, that left only evenings for them to be together, and that time was usually spent with Liberty, too.

"So I think I found a babysitter," Steve said, carefully casual, one evening. They were putting the kitchen in order after dinner, with Liberty still in her booster chair.

Tony glanced at him without much of a negative response. "Oh?" he asked, putting away a plate. "What makes you think they're worthy of Liberty's time?"

Steve chuckled, then shook his head. "She's great with children, has experience as a nanny. She's responsible, reliable and hardworking." Steve was counting as he wiped the dining table. "She's doing a CS degree at my university, and she's a regular at the gym."

"You trust her?" Tony turned around, leaning against the counter to look at Steve as he got the dining table back into looking like a table and not a warzone.

"Absolutely. I think you should meet her and decide for yourself."

"Okay," Tony said with a shrug. "I'll be home before five every day this week. She should come over for dinner. If I like her, she can start as soon as she's available."

Steve didn't speak for a long moment, then turned to look at him. "Just like that?"

"If you vouch for her, I can hardly see a reason why not. And I could really use a date with you that didn't involve applesauce," Tony said. He'd warmed up to the idea of letting others take care of Liberty after Steve started looking after her for him. He hadn't realized how badly he needed some time away from being a parent until the option to do so presented itself.

In short, the meeting with Doreen Green went without a hitch. Liberty was absolutely ecstatic at the chance to pull on someone's hair--she poked Doreen's face with her chubby fingers and flailed at the fluffy squirrel doll she gave her--though Tony was really only convinced that she'd do once he saw her changing Liberty's diaper. He hired her the next day, and promptly cleared up some time to be alone with Steve almost every day of the week.

So, it seemed everything was going pretty well for them. Tony didn't bring up the question of how long it would take Steve to get tired of playing family with him, and they were all happy. Their mornings were still divided with Liberty's routine falling to either one of them in turn, and Tony was happy. He hoped Steve was, too, and Liberty seemed to like the arrangement well enough.

But as were most things in Tony's life, this too was not meant to last.

"Papa!" Liberty called that one morning, as Steve set her into her chair at the dining table. Tony was making breakfast, and Steve was already mostly ready for the day. He had classes, so it was Tony's turn to get the morning routine going.

Once that word was out of Liberty’s mouth, however, the kitchen went entirely still.

Tony turned slowly towards the two, already fearing the worst. Steve couldn’t possibly be happy with this. It implied too much, and it meant that Liberty was already too attached, didn't it? She must've picked that up from playing with those other toddlers at the park. He knew he shouldn't have agreed for Doreen to take her out alone, dammit.

Steve still faced Liberty, so Tony couldn't see his expression, but he was naturally imagining the worst, and he didn't want this to scare him off so soon. "St...Steve… Don't-Don't take it seriously." He tried to salvage the situation, but it was clear that Steve had hunched his shoulders stiffly. Of course it would be the last thing he wanted, for Liberty to think he was her father. After all, this was all a commitment-free thing for Steve, wasn't it?

When Steve straightened and turned around, his expression was all but unreadable. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly, looking at Tony like he wasn't really there.

"I…" Tony stared at him. _Oh God please understand,_ he pleaded with Steve internally. “Sh-She probably doesn't even know what it means. Right, baby girl? Calling you ‘papa’ would be all kinds of crazy, like… completely nuts.”

Steve’s expression hardened.

Tony swallowed "I mean..."

"You know what? Stop right there. I'm gonna be late and I can't do this right now." With that, Steve backed out of the kitchen and out of sight. A few stunned moments later he heard Steve say something like "Goodbye" or "Good day," but Tony couldn't tell which one it was. It took less than a minute after the front door closed for Libby to burst out into a screaming mess.

~

Steve's chest was a tangle of sharp nettles. He felt the ache all morning as he sat through his classes, trying to concentrate on his assignments to no avail. The shrill screaming from Liberty and the stunned silence from Tony accompanied him to school, and would not let his mind rest. He'd known from the start that he would get attached to that baby, and to the man who was her father, but he'd thought--had hoped--that Tony would want it to be a serious thing. He'd wanted it, the commitment, the connection. Their sudden _togetherness_ was… It felt right.

Well, obviously he'd been wrong about some things. Worst of all, he was wrong about Tony's intentions. Clearly, Tony had not wanted their relationship to go that far, or last that long. Steve wondered why he'd kept it going in the first place. Was it because Steve's presence made it easier with Liberty?

The heels of Steve’s palms pressed against his eyes. Even at his worst, he couldn't believe Tony would do something like that. If Tony weren't at least a little serious about it… Would he mislead Steve? He couldn't believe that, it just didn't make sense. There had to be something else, but Steve couldn't fathom what. Maybe Tony needed some time alone, and Steve hadn't realized it? Maybe if he kept his distance for a bit, Tony would come around?

Things didn't get much better when Steve was done with classes for the day and headed for gym. He had three messages in his phone, all from Tony, and all various clumsy attempts at apology. He didn't answer any of them and entered the building.

His two best friends were already there. Bucky was cleaning the instruments and Sam was busying himself with the schedule book at the counter. Their manager was nowhere to be seen at the moment, but that wasn't unusual. One look at him had Bucky abandoning his post and rushing over. Even though Steve could tell that he knew something was going on, he didn't outright ask.

"You planning to mop the floor with that face of yours?" Bucky poked, clasping his arm around Steve's shoulders and ushering him towards the break room. "What is it? Trouble in paradise?"

"Lay off, man, can't you see he doesn't want to talk about it?" Sam called from the front desk, his eyes still on the book in his hand. "He'll tell us after he decimates one of the heavy bags."

Steve's face heated. They really knew him too well. "That was _one time_ ," he retorted, sliding out from under Bucky's hold. "I'm fine, guys. Really. Just… I'll be out in a minute." And he escaped to the changing rooms without missing a beat.

If he were being rational about this, which he tried very hard to be, then there really wasn't anything to get upset about. Tony had never promised that what they had was permanent. They never even exchanged words of love. If Steve thought he felt that way about Tony, that was good and well, but he wouldn't be putting that type of burden on Tony when he clearly wasn't on the same page.

But the thought of never waking up with him again was much more painful than Steve had thought it would be after so little time together. And the thought that he wouldn't get to hug Liberty and bathe her and play with her during the day… It was unbearable. Maybe it was Steve who needed to take some time out. He was clearly too attached already, and there was no guarantee--

"Steve, come on, our trainees are going to be here soon," Bucky called from outside, and Steve sighed. He put on his training gear and then locked his stuff away. He decided he would think about it later, after gym was over.

~

There was radio silence for the next couple of days. Tony got no response to his lame attempts at apology, and decided not to press Steve for an explanation. It was reasonable for him to freak out about the ‘Papa’ thing, wasn't it? Neither of them had really committed for anything more serious than an easy going relationship. Plus caring for a child.

Tony stared at his work and couldn't concentrate at all. The blueprints were just as incomprehensible now as they'd been when he started working that day, and Liberty was crying in the other room.

She'd been like this ever since Steve left. Of course she didn't spend the entire time crying, but the absence of the bright eyed blond man was sorely felt. Tony had gotten used to the ability to spend some of his time working, and even with Doreen coming dutifully to care for the child, a lot of the time they were still just the two of them.

Abandoning his work for the day, Tony wandered back into Liberty's room and lifted her out of the crib. "I know baby girl…" he murmured as he rocked her gently. "I miss him too."

"Dada…" she complained, her crying already subsiding to a hiccup. She grasped his shirt tightly and rested her head on his shoulder as he patted her back in slow circles. He'd hoped it wouldn't come to this, but these past couple of days, Liberty wouldn't even let him tuck her into bed properly, and had reverted to demanding to sleep in Tony’s instead.

The knock on the front door nearly passed unnoticed, but was soon followed by the buzzer, which startled Liberty into another bout of tears. Tony tried to sooth her while swearing and rushing for the door, fully intending to give whoever it was a piece of his mind.

It was Steve.

Of course it was Steve.

"Hi," he said, peering at Liberty but keeping a respectable distance. He was shifting his weight from his heels to his toes and looking pretty miserable. _As miserable as I feel_ , Tony thought and took a step back.

"Come on, don't just stand there, it's cold," Tony answered, leaving the door open and heading for the kitchen--where it all went wrong--to get coffee going. Steve, thankfully, got the hint and came into the house, closing the door behind him and coming into the kitchen soon after. For a tense moment everything was quiet. Even Libby's sobs had subsided. She had her head rested on Tony's shoulder and her eyes set on Steve.

"So--" Steve tried saying, but Tony spoke over him.

"Coffee?"

"Yeah, but--"

"Not yet. Take her?" Tony asked, lifting Liberty with his arm and Steve moved in automatically to follow the instruction, only pausing in surprise once he had her in his arms, noting her death grip onto his shirt.

"Tony--"

"I said not yet."

So Steve fell silent, and they stood in that silence for the whole duration it took Tony to make the coffee and a bottle for Liberty. Steve sat at the table with her in his lap as she ate, one hand still holding onto his shirt, and he stared at his coffee, clearly waiting for permission to speak, now.

"Three days," Tony started saying. "I tried contacting you but then figured, maybe you needed space, so I kept my distance." Steve lowered his gaze to Liberty. "Three days, Steve. Forget about what it did to me for a second and think about Liberty. She…" Tony scrubbed a hand down his face and sipped from his coffee to calm his nerves a little. "She's too young to understand that--that people leave."

"But--" Steve wanted to say, but Tony held up a hand to stop him.

"I'm not finished," he said. "I get it, okay? I know it must be…" He took in a great deep breath and puffed it out, "scary, to have a baby attach to you like that, when all you're after is some easy dating and casual sex." Steve's eyes narrowed at that, but Tony forged on. "But I can't do that. That kind of thing's not good for me, and it certainly isn't good for my child. She can't be a victim of my poor relationship skills, Steve. I don't know what you were after when you agreed to start seeing me and when… When you started staying here and taking over her mornings, but I'll tell you this now: You cannot come back right now if you're not at least as serious about this as I am."

Steve seemed to contemplate how to answer, his face settling into a neutral expression when finally he spoke. "So you _are_ serious about this."

"Yes," Tony answered, then frowned. "Of course I am, what did you--."

"Then why did you freak out when she called me Papa?" Steve asked, his tone delicate, like the answer could break him. Tony'd never seen a man as muscled and masculine sound so fragile before. It was disconcerting.

"Because…" Tony said immediately, then paused to consider it. "Because I felt like… I thought we were living on borrowed time." Steve frowned at that but waited patiently for Tony to clarify. "You're young, you have your entire life ahead of you, and yet there you were, changing diapers and bathing my baby. I thought… sooner or later you'd realize you could be having the time of your life elsewhere." Steve was shaking his head now, but Tony continued speaking. "So when she called you that, I thought you'd bail. I thought… I don't know what I thought."

"When she called me Papa…" Steve said softly, patting Liberty's head in slow, gentle strokes. "It was the best feeling in the world," he admitted, looking up to meet Tony's gaze. He realized Steve was being honest, and recalling how he'd felt when she had called him Dada for the first time, Tony could only nod his head in understanding. "I thought maybe now you'd realize that this… thing that we had… have?" Steve didn't seem certain of how to speak about their relationship anymore, which--if Tony read all of this right--seemed completely ridiculous. "That it's good, and that we should keep it, but then you sort of downplayed it and I felt… I felt like--"

Tony grabbed for Steve's free hand and looked at him square in the eye. "Steve. I think we have a serious problem."

"A problem?" Steve asked, looking downright devastated.

"Yes," Tony affirmed with a grave tone. "We are both idiots."

That startled a laugh from Steve, which jostled Liberty, who in turn tightened her grip on Steve's shirt. He hugged her with the hand not holding Tony's and continued to look at him, now in disbelief. "I guess we are. But you're more so."

"Of course, blame it on the older folk, why not." Tony's retort came as half hearted as it could, and he moved the chair he was sitting on a little closer to Steve, so he could press a kiss to his cheek. "Make you a deal?" he murmured when Steve turned to peck his lips lightly.

"If it's reasonable."

"We get back to how it was before, and we stick it out together for as long as we can. How's that sound?"

"I'll want a ring at some point," Steve admitted, and he’d meant for it to just lighten the mood a little, but it came out far more serious. He winced, an apology very clearly ready on his lips. "Not that I--"

"You'll get one," Tony said as he looked at Steve's face. He winked. " _At some point._ "

"Alright," Steve agreed softly, pulling him into a hug with the arm not securing Libby in his lap. "You got yourself a deal, then."


End file.
